In An Effort to See You Smile
by theIdiosocracy
Summary: Hamuko is given one chance to return to Earth and reconnect with SEES. She is given this freedom under one condition - she must return in one month. Given this one month, she meets with everyone again. Only... who is everyone?
1. Chapter 1: In An Effort to Save You

Hey, guys! I'm back with another fic, kuku... And another sad one, at that, hahaha. **She's evil, isn't she?** Shushhh, they don't need to know that! *slaps Cy-kun's back* You just need to harden up, kid! Ahem, anyway, I didn't have the idea for this fic until I thought about the bonus chapter I was gonna add to my other series, "Hidden Affection". I-it's not out yet, since I'm only on ch7 at the moment. This is will kinda (?) give you an idea of how I wanted that to end up like. Not even kinda...

As for those waiting for ch8 of "Hidden Affection", sorry. e.e I got mixed up into this new series instead. I honestly shouldn't be starting another series, seeing as I already have 3 unfinished ones now, including this one.

Special thanks to **Wherever Girl** who helped me in trying to figure out what to do with this fic. xD You guys should check her out!

Well, enough beating around the bush. Time for Diocchin to give you what you've been waiting for... Enjoy!

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Hamuko opened her eyes, sighing sadly. She hung on the door that kept Nyx sealed. Today was a bit strange, though. Erebus would usually be here right now. Then again, Hamuko would usually be asleep by then. She didn't want to waste all of her time there just staring down at Earth.

The girl sighed again. Her wrists had stopped hurting from staying there like that. They were numb now. Her whole body felt numb. Then again, it didn't really matter anyway. She had given up what little hope she had of getting out of there. She frowned, shifting her body a little bit. She felt lonely, having nobody to talk to. She would strike up a conversation sometimes with Erebus, but the large, black shadow that constantly tried to remove her from Nyx's entrance didn't give much of one.

She laughed quietly. She hadn't been this melancholy ever since her parents had passed away.

"Awake, are you?" a voice sounded. This startled the girl, since she thought that she was the only one there, with the exception of Erebus. The girl turned in an effort to find the face of the person that spoke to her. "Relax," the person chuckled, stepping into the dim light. A yellow scarf hung around his neck, and a quiet smile lit up his face. His black suspenders hung easily on his shoulders. The male brought a hand through his hair and looked up at the girl that hung on the seal.

"Who are you?" Hamuko asked. Her head cocked to the side, her red eyes staring intently at the man's pale face. It was obvious that the boy had expected more from the girl, as he frowned uneasily and turned to look at the stars beneath them.

"I knew you would forget some things, but I didn't think you would forget me." The boy looked up and smiled nostalgically. He walked closer to the door, and placed his hand on it. "Perhaps the lack of conversation and social links have made your mind numb. You've forgotten everything."

"Not everything." The girl looked to the side, staring at her bound arms. "I still remember my twin brother. I remember the struggle everyone went through to prevent the end of the world. I remember the rooftop. I remember…" Hamuko stopped, her words trailing off. She remembered. But _who_ did she remember? The only person she seemed to remember was her twin brother. She remembered "everyone", but who was "everyone"?

"Your memories have faded later than everyone else, have they?" The male stared quietly at the auburn girl, his eyes shaded in sorrow. "You've only been here for a year, and yet, your memories have started fading. It's not as if you lack the potential… Perhaps you're suppressing your memories, for fear they will hurt you, as you can no longer interact with those who made you happy."

A tear dripped down from Hamuko's face. She clenched her fists, and screamed, "What do you know!?" The boy stepped back to get a good view of the girl's face. He smiled sadly.

"Hamuko-chan." The name easily slipped through his tongue. Though the girl felt that she should be angered, the sound of his voice calling her name calmed her. He reached a hand out to her. "I want to give you a chance."

The girl bit her lip. "Yeah? And what kinda chance is that?" She felt desperate, desperate to get out of there. She wanted to remember who "everyone" was. She wanted to see "everyone" again.

The boy laughed. "I want to help you get out of here." At this, the girl's face lit up. "Ahh, well, I can't keep it for long. As you know, you are the Great Seal. The only one who can keep this door secure is you. However… I can temporarily take that burden from you."

"H-how long will you give me?" The girl's voice stumbled through these words. She could feel herself shaking, her numbing body warming up a bit.

"I believe I can keep the door secure for a month. You will have to come back after that. If not, the world will fall into despair once more… and there will be nothing that you can do to fix it this time." Hamuko hesitated a bit. Was she really going to put her own needs in front of humanity's? She sighed.

"I… I can't." Hamuko stared down at Earth, her eyes riddled with a quiet sorrow. "I remember everything, but… I don't. Hell, I don't even remember you." She bit her lip. "You look familiar, sure, but… your name? I can't remember that. I can't remember the time we had spent together. I can't remember who "everyone" is. I want to, I really do, but everytime I think about it, it just seems to slip further and further away. What if… what if I don't remember anything by the time I get back down there? I'll cause more pain than happiness. Besides, I have a duty. I was created to fulfill this duty. I'm not about to let you or my twin brother fill it for me."

The boy laughed. "You're the same as you've always been." His hand moved up to grab his scarf and pull it below his chin. "Not wanting anyone else to take your responsibility. Always thinking about others beside yourself." He chuckled. "It's your personality that made me like this in the first place. And I thank you for that. But it's the reason why I'm giving you this chance now." Hamuko looked at the boy's face, his eyes shining with a quiet glimmer of nostalgia. "Please, take this chance. They all miss you dearly. Though you won't be able to be there long, it should be enough for you to keep going on." He reached out his hand again. "Please, Hamuko-chan. I'm worried about you."

The girl hesitantly reached her own hand out, and the shackles that held her to the door broke, allowing her body to float gently down into the boy's arms. Suddenly, her memories began to come back, and she fell to the ground, unable to take the immediate rush. As if on cue, Erebus began to rise up again, nearly grabbing the door open as Ryoji summoned a sword and slashed its hand away. It roared and sunk back into the darkness. Ryoji ran up and grabbed the girl, pulling her up. Hamuko felt dizzy, her face lost its color, and her crimson eyes turned into a darker shade.

"Hamuko-chan!" Ryoji called out. He dropped his sword and held the girl by her shoulders.

"Nnh," the girl managed to let this slip past her lips. She stared blankly at the male's face and uttered out a quiet, "R… Ryoji-kun?" The boy smiled.

"So you do remember me." He chuckled and gently lifted the girl to her feet. "Do you know where you are?" He picked up his sword and stood to look at the girl's face.

"Of course." Hamuko looked down beneath her, staring down at the stars. "The door that bars Nyx from humanity. The door that I was bound to, in an effort to save humanity from its cruel thoughts and feelings." The girl's lips pulled into a sad smile. "Everyone misses me, huh?" Her arm moved up to rub her shoulder. "I still don't think I should go down there. Nyx is my responsibility, after all." Hamuko looked into Ryoji's dark blue eyes. "I don't want you to take that responsibility for me. Even if you think that it's for my own sake."

Ryoji laughed. "That's so like you, Hamuko-chan." He pointed up at the door. "But you're not up there anymore, are you?" The girl frowned. Ryoji smiled at her. "I know you want to see them again." He gently pushed Hamuko, and the girl's body drifted down towards Earth. "Say hi to everyone for me!"

"Dammit, Ryoji!" Hamuko reached out her hand, but she was unable to go back. The boy gently rested his eyes on the girl's face, then turned, floating toward his temporary position as the Great Seal.

…

"Dammit!" Hamuko sat up. She immediately studied her surroundings. She was sitting down in a secluded area, bright patches of sunlight hitting the spot she had woken up at. "Where the hell am I?" Her hands stumbled around the dirt floor. "The hell…?" She turned back and stared intently at the labeled headstone. "Oh." She laughed. "Never thought I'd see my own grave." She looked at the portrait that laid on the cold, stone surface. "Hehe, I look so weird in this photo. They should've chosen a different one."

Just then, there was the sound of plastic material lightly hitting the floor. Hamuko quickly turned, only to be met with a startled face. She looked down at what the person had dropped and frowned.

"You know I don't like those kinda flowers, Mina-kun." She reached over and picked up the bouquet of flowers, gently assorting them. "Thank you, though." She picked one out and examined it. "Heh, I didn't think there'd be anyone who would still give me flowers at this point." Minato quietly dropped down to the floor. Hamuko looked up at his face, smiling easily.

"I'm not dreaming again, am I?" Minato grabbed Hamuko's hand. "Sis, you… what? I thought…" Hamuko pulled her twin brother into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," she quietly whispered. "I'm sorry for worrying you again." Minato's tears dripped down from his face, and he sniffled. The girl giggled. "Gee, I didn't know that Mina-kun could be such a crybaby." She pulled back. "Look, I'm here for now, okay?" She stood up, and Minato looked back at her questionably.

"What do you mean, for now?" He stood up as well.

The girl sighed. "Let's not worry about that at the moment, shall we?" She walked ahead of him. "Ah, what month is it?"

"It's July. 2011."

The girl smiled. "Ah, that's perfect. Everyone should be off then, right? I need to meet with you guys again." She turned back to look at her twin. "Then maybe I'll tell you about what kinda deal I'm in."

* * *

Well, it was quite delightful. I don't know why I like writing sad stories. Sure, it may be fine now, but... Eh, I'm babbling. **Yeah, maybe _I_ should duct-tape _your_ mouth.** It was one time! And I'm sorry! qq

Anyway, geez, 2011. Pfft, that was like 5 years ago. xD I laughed when I wrote that down, realizing how long it's been ever since I started playing that game.

Enough of this! Everyone in SEES will get to see Hamuko again in the next chapter! What will their reactions be!? Will Hamuko remember all of them, or will her amnesia ultimately get the best of her!? See you guys in the next chapter!

~theIdiosocracy, Diocchin and **Cy-kun**


	2. Chapter 2: In An Effort to Meet Everyone

**Wow, another chapter by the next day! You're improving, Diocchin.** I don't need to hear it from you. ._. Anyway... I actually am pretty into this series. xD I think it's actually going pretty good so far, and I quite like the concept of it. I hope you guys end up liking it as much as I do. :P Also, I changed it to angst because I realized that the story was going to be more angsty and sad than romantic. Nonetheless, read on!

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Hamuko stared down at the floor of the flat nervously. It was strange, requesting to meet the whole crew again so suddenly. She thought that she would start to remember at this point, but she didn't. She told her brother to bring SEES back together again to meet her, but she didn't know if she would remember them when she saw them. She sighed. Minato looked over and nudged her.

"What's up?" he questioned. "Nervous, huh?" He chuckled. "The sis I know would never be nervous."

Hamuko nudged him back. "I-I'm not nervous." She shifted uncomfortably around in her seat. "I just don't know if I'll remember everyone…"

Minato laughed easily at this. "How could you forget everyone? They're the same as before. None of them have changed." He dropped his smile. "Well, except for Shinjiro-senpai, that is."

Hamuko stared at the boy blankly. "Shinjiro-senpai? Who's that?"

Minato froze. He laughed uneasily, patting his sister on the shoulder. "Ahaha, Sis, you're such a kidder." Hamuko bit her lip, and lifted her brother's hand to the side. He stopped. "You… you're not kidding, are you?"

Hamuko sighed, "I'm not… Minato, you don't know what it's like up there." She looked up at her brother. "My body was numb. There was no warmth left in me. I was living, yet I was dead. There wasn't a day that passed where Erebus wouldn't try to force me off the damn door." Her hands shook, and Minato grabbed them, trying to calm her down. "I didn't have anyone to talk to. I ended up talking to myself a lot, wondering if you guys had forgotten me yet. In the end…" Her voice shook, eyes brimmed with tears. "...In the end, I was the one who had forgotten everyone. I don't remember anyone. I didn't even remember Ryoji-kun. And I don't even know who that Shinjiro-senpai is. I don't remember what anyone looks like." Tears began dripping down her face, and she shakily wiped them away. "I don't know why I agreed to come back. I'm just going to cause everyone pain…"

Minato pulled Hamuko into a tight hug. "Maybe Ryoji-kun wanted you to come back because you were like this." He lifted his hand and gently stroked her hair. "Maybe he wanted you to have the chance to remember everyone again. He didn't want you to become someone who wouldn't be able to recall any of us." Hamuko's face rested easily on her twin brother's shoulder. She had forgotten how comforting it was to be held by someone else. "Look, I'm sure you'll remember everyone in no time." He lifted her from his shoulder. "If not, then… I guess we have a month, don't we?" A gentle smile filled the male's face, and Hamuko's lips couldn't help but pull into a smile itself. "Let's start rebuilding your relationships, Sis."

Just then, a knock came from the door. Minato stood up and opened it, greeting whoever was behind it. The person came through the door, and Hamuko studied them. The girl who had entered had short brown hair and wore a pink tank-top with bright blue jeans. She held a small purse at her side and smiled brightly at the sight of the auburn haired girl. Tears began streaming down the brunette's face.

"Hehe, geez," the brunette laughed a bit, bringing a hand up to wipe away her tears, "and I thought you were just going crazy, Minato-kun." She walked over to Hamuko and leaned down. "It really is you, Hamuko-chan. Or… are my eyes playing tricks on me?" Hamuko hesitantly reached a hand over and pulled the other girl into a hug.

"Yu… Yukari…" Hamuko sighed softly. "I…" The pair started crying, tears soaking into the shoulders of one another.

A moment passed, and they pulled away from each other. "We missed you, you know?" Yukari spoke. She walked over to Minato and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Your twin brother here brought you flowers everyday. I arranged some of them myself, actually." Yukari laughed lightly, and Minato pulled his arm around the brunette.

"Tell me you didn't do the ones from today." Hamuko groaned and looked up at Yukari.

"Haha, that was Minato. I told him you didn't like those flowers." Yukari giggled, and Minato frowned at the girl, sighing. "He must've missed you a lot, though. To bring you flowers everyday. It's something I'd expected Shinjiro-senpai to do as well, but…"

Hamuko cocked her head to the side at the mention of that name. "Who is that? Why're you and Mina-kun making such a huge deal about him?"

Yukari gave Hamuko a startled look. "Wait, you…?" Yukari looked up at Minato, and the male shook his head.

"She said she doesn't remember anyone," Minato said. "But I honestly thought that Shinjiro would be the one that she would remember the most. I guess I was wrong…" The boy bit his lip and looked down to the side.

Another knock came by, and Minato walked over to open the door. Before he had even opened it fully, someone had pushed the door open and demanded to see Hamuko. As soon as he saw her, he grinned, pulling up the brim of his hat.

"Damn, it really is Hamukocchi!" The man walked over the auburn haired excitedly. "I knew you would never leave us like that!" He grabbed her into a tight hug, lifting her feet off the ground. "I friggin' missed you, buddy! Wasn't as obsessed as Minato here, but still!" At this, Minato brought a hand up and whacked Junpei's shoulder, making the other male freeze in place.

"I'm assuming you forgot that I'm her twin brother," Minato said, putting his hand down.

"R-right, o-of course!" A tear rose up in Junpei's eyes as he gently put down Hamuko and began rubbing his shoulder instead. "You gotta stop whacking me with those arms of yours, man… They hurt like hell."

Hamuko giggled. "I don't think I could ever forget Junpei." She smiled brightly, and Junpei looked over at her questionably.

"Whaat? How could you ever forget me in the first place?"

Hamuko caught a glimpse of red hair behind Junpei's back, and she turned her face towards it. A girl with a pale face and brown eyes stared back at Hamuko's crimson ones.

"Oh, right." Junpei gestured over at the redhead. "I brought Chidori along with me. I hope you don't mind."

Hamuko shook her head. "Of course I don't." She smiled slyly. "I don't mind seeing Junpei's girlfriend again." Chidori blushed, and looked over to the side. Junpei laughed easily, his own face accompanied with a red hue.

Soon after this, more members came. Each greeted Hamuko in a polite fashion, though it was obvious that they were all excited to see Hamuko's smiling face again. She recognized each of them, though there were two members that had yet to come.

"Damn, where's Shinji?" Akihiko questioned. Minato shrugged. "I thought he'd be here before us. Surely he wouldn't be late for this…"

Mitsuru took out her cellphone. "Perhaps we should call him again?" she asked. The members looked around hesitantly.

Ken shifted in his seat. "Maybe he needs more time. It is a bit strange, having someone you love brought back to life all of a sudden."

Minato clenched his fists. "Dammit, he doesn't need more time!" The blue haired male bit his lip. "He's had enough time already. It's time he stopped moping around and actually do something good for once. Like visiting someone who only has a month to stay!"

Everyone in the room froze. Fuuka spoke up, "Did you say that Hamuko-chan only has a month?"

Minato sighed, "Yeah." He looked over at Hamuko and apologized. "You probably wanted to tell everyone yourself."

Hamuko laughed a bit. "No, it's fine, Mina-kun. I guess I can tell everyone now." The members of the group stared at her as she explained her situation.

"One month…" Aigis's hand moved up to rub her arm. "We will need to make the best of this month, if that is the case."

"You should've asked for a year!" Junpei exclaimed.

Hamuko shook her head. "I didn't want Ryoji-kun to suffer as much as I did up there…" She rubbed her shoulder. "A year is too much for him. I may be able to endure it more than he can, but… Even then, the burden is too much for anyone to bear. He requested me to take a month off. I guess he must've known…" She smiled sadly, and Yukari rubbed Hamuko's back.

Junpei chuckled. "Dammit… That Ryoji."

The conversation was interrupted when the members heard a loud yip at the door.

"Koro?" Minato walked over. "That must mean…"

Minato opened the door, and the excited dog ran up to Hamuko, pouncing on her and happily licking her face. The girl giggled uncontrollably.

"Koro-chan - haha - stop!" Hamuko struggled to speak between her giggles. "I'm at your - hahaha - I'm at your mercy!" The shiba inu stopped and panted, looking happily into the face of the auburn haired girl. She gently patted Koromaru, his eyes squinting under her touch. "Geez, you're always like that when you see me. Hehe."

The shiba inu pounced off and Hamuko stood up, her crimson eyes greeted with the stare of the intense steel ones of an unfamiliar face. The man shifted a bit, lifting a hand up to pull at his beanie. His long, dark brown hair sloped a bit past his shoulders. He wore a brown turtleneck underneath a maroon peacoat, black pants, and brown boots.

"You haven't changed at all," he said. His rough voice made Hamuko wince a bit. Was this the Shinjiro everyone had been talking about?

Hamuko cocked her head to the side. "You're… Shinjiro-san, correct?" She stood up and stuck a hand out. "It's nice to meet you."

Everyone had froze. Hamuko must've remembered Shinjiro, right? She's just joking around, right? Nonetheless, Shinjiro took her hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you too," he responded. He let go and sighed. "Today was a waste of my time." Shinjiro looked over at Minato, who glared intently at the elder. "If it ain't anything important, don't bother asking me to come." He turned back and opened the door. "Let's go Koro." The dog whimpered but obeyed Shinjiro, and the two left. No one said a word after that.

Hamuko hesitantly broke the silence. "I-I didn't say anything wrong, did I?" She laughed uneasily, and Minato looked over at his twin sister.

"Sis…" He bit his lip. "That's your boyfriend."

* * *

How could you forget your own boyfriend!? *cries* Well, she can't control it. I'm pretty sure everyone saw this coming, lol. I'm kinda tired, but I've got stuff to do, so can't go to sleep yet! Hehe... *passes out* **Well, since she's passed out... Hope to see all of you in the next chapter. Might be coming soon, might not. Ehh, have some faith in Diocchin.**

~theIdiosocracy, Diocchin and **Cy-kun**


	3. Chapter 3: In An Effort to Remember

**Geez, what happened to uploading ch8 of "Hidden Affection"?** Uhh, I dunno... e.e I haven't had that many ideas for it. To tell you the truth, I've _lost_ a couple of my ideas for it. Dx Sorry guys.

Anyway, here's the third chapter of this series. Hope you guys are enjoying is so far!

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"So he's my boyfriend, huh?" Hamuko frowned, sitting down on the couch. She picked up the tea that Yukari had prepared. She had wanted to stay with the brunette for the night, since they both agreed that they needed to catch up, even though Hamuko didn't have much to say…

"I'm surprised you didn't remember Shinjiro-senpai. Actually…," Yukari took a sip of her own tea, "everyone is surprised that you didn't remember him. After all, he spent your last moment with you." Yukari placed the cup down on the table and put a hand through her hair. "I'm pretty sure he's the most surprised. But of course, he won't show it with that pride of his…"

Hamuko sipped her tea and stared at the wall. She knew she should start a relationship with him again, but how? She isn't going to have that easy access of being in SEES anymore. She doesn't even remember how Shinjiro was like. How was she going to fall in love with him again? The girl sighed.

"I should get some sleep, Yukari-chan." Hamuko put down her cup. "I think I want to meet Shinjiro-senpai tomorrow."

Yukari hesitated, then nodded. She smiled. "I'll ask Akihiko-senpai if he can drag Shinjiro-senpai to come meet you."

The crimson eyed thanked her friend, then proceeded to lie down and drift off into sleep.

…

A knock sounded from the door, waking up the shiba inu, who pounced on his owner. Shinjiro woke up and laughed a bit, patting the white dog. He got up and opened the door, and behind it stood Akihiko.

"You could've given me a damn call," Shinjiro frowned. He let the other male in.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have picked up." Akihiko walked in and sat at a nearby couch. "Besides, it's better to talk this way. I know you don't like encounters over the phone. And this way, I can hit you if you say something I don't like."

Shinjiro closed the door and sat down across from the boxer, scowling. "The hell do you want?" Koromaru jumped up next to the brunette male and sat down, observing the two.

"Yukari called me this morning and asked me if I could convince you to meet Hamuko." Akihiko rubbed the back of his neck. "You shouldn't have just left like that last night."

"Yeah?" Shinjiro clenched his fists. "Well, what the hell was I supposed to do? Stand there and watch while you guys have your own little reunion? If Hamuko doesn't remember me, then she can go through her whole damn life that way." Shinjiro winced a bit. Since when did he stop caring about their relationship?

Akihiko gritted his teeth. "Dammit, Shinji! You don't understand!" The white haired male stood up, as to get his point across. "She doesn't have her whole life right now! She has a month, a goddamn month, to reconnect with everyone before having to set off again! And hell, we all figured that we could give you the whole month to restart your relationship with her. But you're too damn prideful to take up your duty as her boyfriend." Akihiko clenched his fists. " _I_ should've been her boyfriend!"

Shinjiro landed a rough blow across Akihiko's face, making him fall back.

"Fuck you, Aki." Shinjiro's eyes grew furious. "If you want to fuck her so badly, then do it. Just don't think that Mitsuru is going forgive you for it."

Akihiko stood up. He wiped the blood from his mouth and turned, opening the door. "If you loved her so much, you wouldn't be able to bear being forgotten like this." Akihiko went through and slammed the door behind him.

Shinjiro bit his lip and turned to smash his fist against the wall. "Fuck!" He slumped down to the floor. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Tears began streaming down his cheeks, and the shiba inu walked over and whined, placing his head on the man's leg. "Dammit, why am I the only one she doesn't remember?" He looked over at Koromaru's white face, and the dog whimpered, giving him a worried expression. "If she loved me so much, she wouldn't have forgotten me."

A knock was heard from behind Shinjiro, making him stand up and open the door. "The hell is it now, Aki?" he growled, opening it abruptly.

The girl behind the door squeaked, and Shinjiro's eyes widened. "Oh, ah, uh, h-hi Shinjiro-senpai." Hamuko pulled nervously at the white skirt that she was wearing. "M-may I come in…?" Shinjiro stepped to the side, allowing the girl entry into his flat. "Thank you…" Shinjiro gestured toward a seat, and Hamuko sat down. She shifted nervously in her seat as Shinjiro closed the door, walking into his kitchen.

"Want some coffee?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you." Hamuko looked around the room. It was a bit tidier than she had expected, save for a few papers here and there. It seemed that they all belonged to a cookbook of some kind…

"Black coffee is okay?" The clattering of cups was heard from the kitchen, along with a "Shit!" as one of the cups shattered on the floor.

"Yes…" She looked over, trying to catch a glimpse of the kitchen. "Are you alright, Shinjiro-senpai?" She never took the man as the clumsy type.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He sighed. "Just broke a cup. I can clean it up."

Koromaru came from the kitchen and ran over to Hamuko. "Oh, hey, Koro-chan." She patted the dog. "I didn't know you lived here with Shinjiro-senpai." The dog barked and licked the girl's face. "Hehe, you certainly haven't changed."

Shinjiro walked out of the kitchen and brought a couple cups of coffee with him. He handed one to the girl, who took it generously. The two sat in silence as they both drank from their cups.

"How are you?" the brunette man spoke. This startled the girl a bit, and she put down her cup. "I mean…," he sighed, "sorry, you probably feel like shit, considering you've had to put up with humanity's crap for a whole year."

"I-I'm fine, actually." The girl laughed a bit. "It was tiring, sure, but I guess you could say it gave me a sort of mellow outlook on life." She adjusted the short sleeves of her orange top. "I've wanted someone to talk to for a long time. Talking to myself or Erebus didn't suit for well enough conversation."

Shinjiro chuckled. "You were always the one to be so talkative." He sipped his coffee. "I kinda missed listening to you talk about nonsense. Even when I was in the hospital…" He winced a bit, remembering the times he would dream about her crying face, begging for him to come back. "You were… such a crybaby." He laughed and the girl stared over at him. "You always cried whenever you visited me. When you passed, I figured it was my turn to do the same. Heh." He smiled sadly, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's why I didn't visit you often."

Hamuko reached over and lifted the cup to her lips. She put her coffee down. "Tell me about… how we used to be." Hamuko looked over at the male hesitantly. Shinjiro's eyes widened, then he looked down.

"I was a hot-headed bastard," he started. He smiled a bit. "I didn't want anyone near me, and I avoided conversation with you guys as much as possible." He leaned forward a bit, reminiscing the past. "But you… You somehow built up the courage to come talk to me. Heh, you even took me out on a movie date once. I cried through a couple of the scenes, but you didn't notice until we got out and my eyes were still red." He laughed. "We started going out to eat more often. I helped out Fuuka with her cooking. We even made dinner for the whole group." Hamuko watched as a smile lit up his face. She felt a bit happy, watching him rethink the past, though she couldn't figure out why. "Whenever I passed the damn kitchen, they stared at me like I was gonna do something. But… it was fun." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Then, you found my pocketwatch, and you gave it to me. You even confessed that you loved me. I called you an idiot, then… we ended up messing around in my room. After that…" He winced, his smile dying down. "Ken wanted to talk to me, and we both abandoned the operation that night. Takaya found us… then he shot me. Twice." He put a hand over his chest. "He ran away, and you guys came… You found me on the floor, and I told you that this was how it should be… You refused, and kept crying over my body. I blacked out." He bit his lip. "I would've died if it wasn't for that pocketwatch. I would've been a lot more grateful if it hadn't put me in a coma for six months. By then…," he sighed, "by then, you guys already went through the final battle, and you were already too weak. I held you in my arms, and… you passed away."

Hamuko stared at him sadly. How could she forget a relationship like this? She felt like an idiot for not being able to remember such a tough guy with a soft heart. She rubbed her shoulder. She wanted to remember all of those times, but how? She couldn't seem to remember now.

"I'm sorry," the girl uttered. The male looked up. "I mean, I'm sorry that I don't remember. It must hurt, I know…"

Shinjiro shook his head and spoke, "It's better off this way. At least it won't cause you pain anymore."

Hamuko frowned. "But I want to remember. And I would rather cause myself pain than cause you pain." She sighed. "I want to be able to love you again, but I've lost that feeling because I can't remember who you are." She smiled sadly, and a tear dripped down her cheek. "And I was the idiot who said that I loved you first. If I loved you so much, I shouldn't forget about you."

Shinjiro sat back. "Then, let's help you remember." Hamuko looked up, and the male looked over to the side, his hand hiding a quiet blush. "If you want to remember so badly, then let's relive everything. I-I mean…," he stuttered, "not everything. I'm not willing to go into a coma again or force you to do something you don't want to do." Hamuko giggled and the man blushed even more. "We can start over, right? You've already taken the first step."

"Alright then," the girl agreed. "In that case, this will be a fun month."

* * *

Soo what're they gonna end up doing in the next chapter? ;D Heh, this is gonna be a funnn series. Not to mention all the angst I'm going to write... ***sighs* Well, I'm not gonna bother saying anything this time...** That's right! You better learn to take my angst! Ahem, anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. I didn't think it was very good myself, save for the scene when Akihiko gave Shinjiro a quick visit. Look forward to the next chapter! Enjoy the quick uploads while you can - I'm not usually this active. xD

~theIdiosocracy, Diocchin and **Cy-kun**


	4. Chapter 4: In An Effort to Set a Date

Hoi guys! I'm back with another chapter of... *rustles through script* ... ahem, "In An Effort to See You Smile"! It actually took me over a week to write this, even though I don't think it's as good as time let on... =_= I've been busy with school and etc. *sighs*

I borrowed a small part of the idea that **Wherever Girl** gave me a while back. Thanks againn! xD (Y'all should totally check her out she makes bomb stories)

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

Ryoji smiled a bit as he stared thoughtfully at the Earth that he had once roamed. He silently watched over Hamuko as she slowly started to interact with the SEES members again. The male thought about the happiness that the auburn haired girl was able to feel again, and this in turn made a part of his heart warm. As long as he was able to see her real smile, he would be happy as well, even if he had to accept the fact that he could never truly be with her. He looked up, happily sighed, and closed his eyes, his bright face sporting a quiet grin.

"Ryoji Mochizuki, was it?" A voice sounded from the darkness, and the black haired boy looked over at the shadowed figure who stood several feet away from him. Ryoji brought his hand up to slick back a couple strands of hair from his face and watched as the figure slowly walked over, revealing the sharp yellow eyes that stared deeply into the teenage boy's own blue ones. The teenage boy brought his sword up. The shadowed character stepped over from the darkness steadily, exposing the black and blue colors that dominated the outfit he wore. He smiled at the other male, holding a book in hand. "Hello." He opened his book and flipped through the pages. He stopped. "I understand that you granted Hamuko Arisato the Fortune social link." He chuckled and closed his book. "From Death to Fortune. It's quite interesting, actually."

An equally strange woman stormed over and slapped her companion on the back with her book. "We are not to discuss our guest's personal matters with anyone else," she growled. Ryoji steadily put his sword down and stared at the two. "That information stays classified between the residents of the Velvet Room and the ones who are granted entry into it." The male looked apologetically at the female. The woman cleared her throat and gazed over at Ryoji. "Though we are not to discuss much of our identity to you, Ryoji Mochizuki, since you have helped Hamuko, we felt obliged to come visit you."

"Ah, yes!" The white haired male smiled happily. "I'm Theodore, and this is my older twin sister, Elizabeth." Ryoji smiled back and walked over, sticking a hand out. Theodore looked over, confused, and stuck his hand out as well. "Is this how people greet each other?" He frowned a bit. "I don't think I understand the significance in sticking out my hand to greet someone."

Ryoji laughed. "You're supposed to shake my hand." He took Theodore's hand. "Like this." He shook it up and down, and Theodore simply laughed.

"Ah, this is quite amusing, actually," he said, shaking along with Ryoji. "It is nice to become acquainted with someone as honorable as you."

"Same with you," Ryoji responded. He stopped and let go of Theodore's hand. The teenage boy looked over at Elizabeth. "And a hello to you too, miss." He gracefully grabbed the female's hand and kissed it, grinning as he did so. He let go and walked over to the the seal. Placing his hand on it, he sighed and looked down. "You must know how painful it was for her to hold this position for so long."

"Yes…" Elizabeth looked over and frowned. "Theo and I were planning to take this burden away from her, in such a way that would allow her to rest easily."

Ryoji turned, his face somber, blue eyes quietly resting on the surface of Elizabeth's face. "It's painful for her. Extremely. I wish to take that burden away from her myself, even if only for a month."

"But it's extremely painful for yourself too, no?" Ryoji's face took a pained expression, looking over as Theodore sighed lightly, flipping through his book as he did so. "It wasn't uncommon for Hamuko Arisato to sacrifice her own happiness for others." He stopped at a page. "She sacrificed her life on the 31st day of January, 2010. For the happiness of 6.8 billion people."

"I know." Ryoji bit his lip. "I fought her that day." He balled his hands into fists. "If it was my choice, if I had control over my own body, I wouldn't have fought against her that day. No, I would've fought with her." He threw his fist at the seal. "Maybe I could have helped her fight Nyx. It would've been an easier toll on her body, as well as her friends."

"Her role in life was to become the seal of Nyx. She accepted her fate." Theodore sighed and closed his book. "There was no one else who would have been more suited for her job. She knew that."

Ryoji's sword clattered on to the floor. "It was my fault." He shook his head and gazed up at the sky above them. The two watched on as Ryoji spoke. "She was my vessel. If I hadn't escaped the facility that day, I wouldn't have tainted her." He smashed his fist against the seal once more, which triggered a loud growl from Erebus. Ryoji shot the huge shadow a dangerous look, and it went back into its quiet slumber once more.

"But you would have chosen someone else." Ryoji looked back at Elizabeth, who smiled strangely. "If you hadn't been inside of Hamuko, would there have been a better ending to this?" Elizabeth lifted a finger up to rest against her cheek. "Hamuko Arisato was simply chosen by fate to carry the embodiment of Death because no one else was more suited for the job. If anyone else had been chosen, the world would have been in turmoil by now."

Theodore sighed, "You would have gotten attached to whichever person you were inside of, moreover." He tapped his foot on the floor and looked down. "And it is about time my sister and I take our leave." He grinned over at the teenage boy. "We shall meet again, Ryoji Mochizuki."

The two siblings walked out of view, back into the darkness. Ryoji laughed.

"'Attached', huh?" He smiled sadly down at the Earth. "I guess I am attached to you, Hamuko Arisato."

…

" _A-choo!"_ Hamuko sniffed a bit and lightly rubbed her nose.

"Someone must be talking about you!" Yukari laughed from the kitchen. She walked over to the auburn haired girl to bring her a tissue. "Maybe Shinjiro-senpai?"

Hamuko shot her an annoyed look, "Haha, very funny." She grabbed the tissue from her brunette friend. The brunette smiled and walked back into the kitchen. Hamuko blew her nose and asked, "How are you and Mina-kun, anyway?" Hamuko heard the sound of glass breaking on the floor. "Are you okay, Yukari?"

"F-fine!" Yukari laughed nervously. "W-we're both fine! I just broke a cup…" The brunette sighed and Hamuko giggled. "He's been so happy ever since you've gotten back. It's almost been about two weeks now, hasn't it?"

Hamuko sighed. "Yeah… Shinjiro-senpai hasn't made any advances ever since that day…" She stared thoughtfully out the sliding door, which carried the quiet dark sky behind it. The girl was a bit disappointed that Shinjiro hadn't come to meet her or set a date with her, on that matter. She was worried that maybe he just wasn't interested in her anymore. She wanted to see what she had seen in him before she lost her memories, and with only two weeks left, it seemed highly unlikely.

The girl frowned at herself. Since when did she become this pessimistic? Maybe she just won't be able to fall in love again, and that would save them both some pain when she had to leave again. Yet, the thrill of falling in love again kept her intact to the idea of being together with Shinjiro. Who knows? Maybe she'll remember everything after one date. Even though it wasn't possible, a girl can dream, right?

A buzzing sounded from Hamuko's phone, and after noticing that it was an unknown caller, picked it up and answered a hello.

"This is Hamuko, right?" The gruff voice on the other end nearly made the girl drop her phone. "I'm not bothering you right now, am I?" A rough voice, softened with that sweet hidden tone that everyone else would've have missed. It was definitely Shinjiro.

"U-uhm, no, you aren't." The girl responded hesitantly. She sounded a bit more timid than she should have been and, noticing this, noted that she should be more confident from then on. At this point, Yukari had already walked out of the kitchen to sit next to Hamuko, her cooking mittens still on. She leaned over in an effort to hear the conversation, and Hamuko shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Was there something you needed, Senpai?"

"Yeah, actually. Well, sorta, anyway. Would you…?" The man's voice faltered on the other side, hesitant to ask her this simple question.

"Just aaAS-" A different voice sounded from the other line, followed by a loud _MMFFH!_

"Is everything okay over there, Senpai?" Hamuko was concerned, cocking up an eyebrow at the random noise heard from the other side.

"Yeah!" The male growled a bit, then quickly asked, "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Silence.

"Of course." The girl quietly responded, then smiled happily. "Where to? A-and when?"

"Anytime you're free, is fine. I'd just like to go to the shrine. Is that fine with you? Sorry if it's a crappy date. It's just that Koromaru wanted to go, and he told me that he missed you and wanted to see you, so I just thought to bring you along with us."

"Ahh, I see." The girl giggled. "Tomorrow is fine with me. I'll meet you there at noon." The girl hung up, and Yukari squealed in delight. She hugged the auburn girl with a wide grin across her cheeks. Hamuko sighed, smiling. "I just hope it goes well."

Yukari let go and stared at the other girl. "Hope? Well?" She frowned. "Hamuko! It'll go great!" She giggled. "You and Shinjiro-senpai will finally be together again, you know? It'll be great!"

Hamuko's lips pulled into a broad smile, then she stopped, sniffing the air. "Hey, what's that smell…? Did you burn something?"

"Aw crap!" Yukari rushed into the kitchen to salvage whatever she could without burning herself or the whole place down. "There goes our dinner!"

…

"That was great! You really pulled it off!" Junpei laughed easily, pulling his cap away from his face. "Man, if I hadn't helped you, you woulda been a goner, Senpai!" He rubbed the side of his face. "Though, you coulda been a bit easy on me there, Senpai. I thought I was gonna die."

Shinjiro growled, crushing the paper that he held in his hand. "I can't believe I turned to _your ass_ for advice. It's such bullshit." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Whatever. At least I was able to ask her out. As much as I hate to admit it, you saved my ass, Junpei."

"Haha, really? Man! The old Shinjiro-senpai would've never said something like that! I would've broken a damn tooth just for suggesting some advice!" The younger male grinned. "Guess you really have changed, huh? Hamukocchi was right to love someone like you." He turned his attention to the floor. "I thought that I woulda had to fight against you if you did anything to hurt her. But, ya'know," he scratched the back of his neck, "you're a good guy, Senpai. I'm glad she loves you."

Shinjiro frowned. "Get outta here, Junpei."

"Seeya, Senpai!" Junpei opened the door and walked out.

The older male frowned and walked into his bathroom. He looked in the mirror and sighed. Grabbing some scissors nearby, he began to cut away at his long hair. It was about time he got his hair cut.

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Woah, woah, wait, Shinji-senpai cuts his own hair?! I dunno, I just thought I'd put that in. The him cutting his own hair part is irrelevant...

Anyway, sorry if this chapter isn't what you guys hoped for. x.x Hope you guys liked it anyway. xD **Don't beat yourself up over it. I liked it.** Awe, thanks Cy-kun~

Reviews are always appreciated, gimme ideas if ya want something written, yadda yadda yadda... Thanks for reading! :3

~theIdiosocracy, Diocchin and **Cy-kun**


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